Bird and animal trap



Aug. 28, v 1923. A 1,466.52()

1,. H. BEAUCHAMP BIRD AND ANIMAL TRAP Filed March 2, 1921 g Fr. 2. Alow; flfiEAI/C/IAMR Patented Aug, 28, 1923.

LOUIS H. BEAUCHAMP,

its stares or wnsron, o'oLoaAno.

Bran AND ANIMAL TRAP.

Application filed March 2,

To all whom it may concern: A Be it known that I, LOUIS H..BnAUorIAr/rr,

a citizen of the United States, residing at 7 scription of theinvention, such as: will en til able others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

The o-bject of the invention is to provide a trap which will dispatchits victim, ex peditiously instead of merely entrapping or confining thesame or subjectingthem to torture or distress, and which is especiallydesigned for the ex ermination of pests such ashousehold and otherrodents,spar'-. rows and such birds and animals that are destructive andhave no special value so faras their pelts are concerned, however thisdevice may be successfully used to catch valuable fur bearing animals,the aim being to dispose of such animals under conditions -which willnot serve to deter others from approaching the trap as is the case whenthe animals are merely confined or are'injured or subjected to a slowdeath which gives them an opportunity to warn other animals or to emit adeath cry, or which enables other animals to see or hear their deathstruggle and thus be warned of the danger of approaching the apparatus,it being a' well known fact that animals and particu larly rats are waryand will rarely approach the scene of the death struggle of a precedinganimal, and will even refuse to approach a trap which, in the settingthereof, has been handled and therefore bears the readily detectibleodor of the operator, and therefore it is a further object of theinvention to provide a device of this class which is self-setting andwhich is actuable by a spring which may be wound from time to time by akey or crank adapted to be removed after the completion of theoperation; and with these objects in view the invention consists in aconstruction and combinationof parts of which a preferred embodiment isshown in the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of the trap arranged in operative position upona suitable receptacle,

Figure 2 is a plan View partly in section of the same,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective 1821 Serial No. 448,970.

means for 0pview illustrating the tension crating a hammer..

The apparatus consists essentially of a base and adapted to be securedby means, of avclamp 11 'or its equivalent'to top of a boxer barrelvindicated at 12, the head of A V such box or barrel being provided withan opening l3for the receptionof the birds or animals as they aredispatched from the trap and serving as. a means for concealing the samefrom the view of other animals. 1A V shaft M. is journaled on thebase'and is d *iven in one direction by a clock spring 16 which has oneend secured to the latter and its other end secured to a combined.casing V and gear 16, that has its. end walls journaled on saidshaft. Aratchet mechanism is provided to prevent theshaft 14" from ro-. tatinginone direction. it spindle 15 is journaled to the base and has a gear17"1 which meshes with the teeth 'of the comibined casing and gear ltiand said spindle has a hammer l8 secured thereto by a shank-24;.Opening-"'13 is enlarged at 13 to,

accommodate movement of head'22. A trip mechanism 20 having a bait box21 is located adjacent to, the path of movement 'ofjthe head, 22; of thehammer; r if In the construction illustrated, a disk 23 is attached tothe arbor or'spindle which carries the shank 24 of the hammer, and whichshank is adjustably mounted in the arbor to provide for disposing thehead 22 thereof in any desired 'relation'with" the bait box 21, saiddisk being provided with a tooth or shoulder 24 for engagement by a pawl25 forming an element of the trip. mechanism and serving to normallyhold the disk and therefore the'spindle against r0- tation. hen ananimal in attempting to obtain the bait from the box 21 depresses thearm 26 of the trip mechanism,the pawl 25 is disengaged from theshoulderor tooth 24 and the spindle under-the influence of the spring 16 causesthehammer to traverse a circular path which brings the head thereof intocontact with the head of the animal or bird which has approached thebait box, thus instantly killing such object .and by continuous movementforcing the same into and through the opening in the receptacle uponwhich the trap is mounted so as to.

conceal the same from the view of other animals or birds. The hammerhead '22 is preferably of tape-red or wedge shape as may be mountedFoWear: that may occur.

of serves. to deliver an effective blow upon the head of theanimal. Asthe-hammer approaches its normal position a trip. pin 27 on the diskengages an arm 28 which by rocking the arm 26 brings the pawl" or dog 25into engaging relation with the shoulder or tooth 24:. A tension Washer26 is located on, the pivot pin of the arm 26 for preventing said; armfrom moving downwardlytbygravity or accidentallyiduring the resettingoperation. V i a f1: supplemental pawl 29 actuated .by a

spring 80 is-calso: arranged for engagement with atoothfil to heldthedisk against'vre- 1 bound. due to any spring. of theshanl; 24E. of

. the

hammer as it: isbrought to rest; by; the engagement: of the pawl 25-.with the shoulder 2%. Also astop pin. 32 is provided to limit thedepression cit-he M11126, and the bait bo: ;;is= preferably. detachable;from. the

arm: 26, being; provided? withv clamp fingers 33 for engaging the; same;The pawl: 29vv from-the dish so a o; compensate for: any

7 In practice, as Willbe seen, theactuating spring may be Wound; bymeans of a: crank 3a removable from the apparatus and. thus leaving noodor of: the operator in connection therewithito sierveasa meansofi'al'arming the prey. and deterring'the same from approaching'theap-paratus; and as the birds on animals are: successively killedthey'are fer-cedby. the continuous:movement of the hammer into thereceptacle providedifori the same so asxt'o be outvofview; andrmore'overthe blow inflicted by the hammer: being such.

adjustmentitowards and prey being operable under: the Weight of prey, atrapping." means: operable by said escapemen-t means, and coacting meanson said lever and discs to reset said lever after anactuation; i 7

means; on saidlever, a: trapping means movable orbitallvantlaone of saidmeans being adjustable. diametrically of its orbit relatively to the;other ofisaid' means. i

3. A trap consisting of a. lever, baiting means thereon, escapementvcomprisingja disc rotatably mounted and: normally and directly engagingapawl on saldlever, a

Y trapping; means. operable by. saidescapement means, an; arm. on. said;lever;v and a" projection on said discengageable with: said arm to resetsaid lever. w 1 I g In testimony whereof I afliximy signature inpresenceot' two'witnessesz a I i LOUIS; H. BEAUGHA-MP.

Witnesses: a I v TH'ELMA- GALE, Al; SLACK.

i i 2a. Atrap consistingofi a lever, a baiting

